VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton: Russian Rights Record Threatens P

By Jessica Golloher
Moscow
14 October 2009
In wrapping up a visit to Moscow, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for Russia to uphold human rights. 

On the second day of her Moscow visit, at the end of a European tour, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced concern at recent attacks on activists¹ and reporters willing to challenge the Kremlin.

 
US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton answers a question at Echo Moskvy radio station, 14 Oct 2009
In an interview with radio station Ekho of Moscow, Clinton said the United States believes the killings² of Russian journalists should be resolved and those guilty should be punished.

She said she brought up the issue in talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

"I mentioned the killings of journalists and I said that it is a matter of grave concern not just to the United States, but to the people of Russia, and not just to the activists, but to the people who worry that unsolved killings are a very serious challenge to order and to the fair functioning of society. And that we did not believe that enough was being done to make sure that no one had impunity³ from prosecution," she said.

Later, Clinton told an audience of Moscow State University students that attacks on journalists and human-rights defenders⁴ are a threat to progress. She said Russia must defend freedom so people can peacefully challenge accepted practice and authority. 

Russia has long maintained that human rights are a domestic issue.

 
Russia's Pres. Dmitry Medvedev and FM Sergei Lavrov meet with US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton at Barvikha, outside Moscow, 13 Oct 2009
At talks Tuesday with Mr. Medvedev, Clinton failed to secure support for tougher sanctions on Iran, despite U.S. President Barack Obama's decision to scrap⁵ plans for a missile shield in central Europe - a concession⁶ to Russian concerns that Washington had hoped would encourage Moscow to back its position on Iran.

Despite the Iran issue, Clinton says the United States and Russia can deepen their bilateral⁷ relationship. In her radio interview, she added Mr. Obama and Mr. Medvedev have "very good personal chemistry".

"He [Russian President Dmitry Medvedev] is very engaged, he is very knowledgeable⁸. There is not a subject you can raise that he does not respond and know what he wants to express. The two presidents have very good personal chemistry. I think they trust each other, now that does not mean we are going to agree - I mean, you do not agree in a family on everything," she said.

Before returning to Washington, Secretary Clinton is to fly to Russia's ethnically⁹ diverse Republic of Tartarstan to hold a roundtable discussion on Thursday.

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

3 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

4 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

6 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

7 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

8 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

9 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句